Some of my guildies have this thing about weapons. Every once in a while they start drooling in the forums when they've spotted a new weapon that is about to be introduced to the game. It’s not necessarily about the stats – even though it might help. Every so often it seems to be purely a matter of esthetics.
It’s hard to understand exactly what they find so attractive in a certain model. I can’t rid myself of the suspicion that it’s mostly about the size. And possibly something else connected to this. Go figure.
Big is beautiful?
The latest object for their affection, which made those guys go “oooh” and “awww” and “me wants” and “I’m so going to use my dkp on this”, was the Reclaimed Ashkkandi Greatsword of the Brotherhood.
To me it looks just like another sword: broad, long, heavy and clumsy, a little bit like The Sun Eater from TBC.
What those weapons have in common is that they really don’t appear to be made for a melee fight the way I think of it. Mind you, I’m not any expert in martial arts, but aren’t they just way too big to make sense?
They certainly don’t make me think of sword dueling or fencing as we see it in the movies: quick and elegant as a dance, just a bit more violent. The swords look more like something you could use for making bread or pizza in an old fashioned stone oven. The best use you probably could make of them in a fight would be to treat them as a piece of wood to hit people hard in the head. Brutal, but not very cool.
I don't sign unconditionally on that “Big is beautiful”. There must be other criteria for what constitutes a good looking weapon. But then, what else are we looking for?
Of course this boils down to personal taste and I don’t claim to be any more enlightened in this area than anyone else. But nevertheless I’ll share a couple of features that I appreciate.
Visual identity
First, I want it to have a distinct visual identity, something that makes it different from all the others. The best looking weapons can be identified at a distance, without using the character inspection.
For instance I love Will of Arlokk, with its distinct snake head. It looks cool and sticks, but is still somehow discrete. Not at all like Nibelung, whose attached flying creatures I find pretty annoying. I don't think it ever will stuck with me that it's pointless to try to kill them.
And while we're into weapons that are easy to recognize I have to mention Cookie's Tenderizer, which is the cutest mace ever with its rolling pin shape, in case you've missed it. It's not what I'd call "good looking", but it makes me smile every time I see it, even if I never could figure out why the icon looks like a thread roll.
Class matching
Secondly, I want the weapon to naturally match to the class I’m playing. My mage for instance, uses her brain as she's fighting the monsters. She doesn't physically stick her dagger into the enemies; she attacks them with her intellect and her spells.
I like any feature in the weapon that associates to wizardry – such as powerful rune inscriptions, mystical light surrounding the weapon, or a hypnotizing moving part, like the good old Staff of Jordan.
In any case, it should go without any doubt that Larísa is neither a warrior, nor a rogue.
Well scaled
Next, I want the weapon to be well scaled adjusted to my chosen race. Daggers and swords cutting a hole in the flying carpet is an abomination, and so are other weapons that keep hitting the ground just because a gnome is wearing them. I think a weapon should look just as appropriate on a gnome as on a tauren.
A holster
Moving ahead, I’d give an extra bonus to any dagger or sword that came with a holster or some other carrying device. When you don't use your weapon you should be able to attach it to your armor, and preferably not using glue, magnetism or "magic". Why can't it hang properly in the belt for a change?
I read an article about this a while ago, where Anjin Anhut discusses the issue of human magnets as an example of details that matters for immersion reasons. Anjin compares how different games have approached it, and sadly enough WoW ends up in the category “The ugly”. (I should add though that in the end, the author decides to give WoW some break “for already being some years around and having a wide arrangement of weapons available.)
Invisible values
Finally I think there are other, invisible values that also will affect the way we perceive a weapon. Even if they belong to the category "silly big" weapons, I can't help thinking that someone who is dressed with a pair of Warglaives of Azzintoh or sports a Thunderfury looks badass.
The question is: do they really look that gorgeous, or could it be that I'm under influence of the circumstances around it - by the lore attached to it, the rarity of it and the effort I know it has taken to get it? Would those weapons look just as pretty if I know that any scrub could get them doing a level 20 quest in Wetlands? Maybe, maybe not. My views are filtered through a layer of knowledge that it's hard to think away. Iconic weapon is iconic.
More weapon talk
Talking about weapons - I hope you remembered to leave any of those you were wearing as you entered the inn in the wardrobe room by the entrance? I try to keep this place as a neutral zone, a sanctuary where we don't make any difference between allies and horde. You're basically a peaceful bunch of people, but we all know that discussions might get a bit heated after a couple of pints, so let's stay on the safe side.
However, just because you can't bring your weapons to the table, it doesn't mean you're not allowed to talk about them. What makes a weapon look good? Which weapons in the game would you put on a top 10 list? Have you ever owned a weapon that looked so well that you couldn't stop admiring your toon? Please go ahead and share with us!
Friday night toast
It's Friday night and I'll end this post accordingly, bringing out a toast.
This week I want to send a special nod to one of our regular visitors, Syrien, who recently sent me a gift in game: an Elwynn Lamb pet. Syrien doesn't even play on my server, but created an alt to make some business and be able to buy it for me as a gift. Apparently Syrien thought it seemed as if I needed a little bit of appreciation and encouragement. Needless to tell, I was surprised, humbled and touched by this kindness and generosity in equal proportions. Thank you! I will keep the ingame letter in one of my precious bank slots for the reminder of my days as a WoW player. That says something about how much it meant to me.
Another nod goes to my guildie Gurraberra, who once upon the time created the header of The Pink Pigtail Inn, you know - the image of the pink pigtailed gnome and the fire. He took the screenshot at one of my favorite spots in the game, the inn in Darkshire. Gurraberra is also one of the major actors at the AH at our server, and he made a fortune selling glyphs in the 4.01 craziness. When he found out that I didn't have any Traveler's Tundra Mammoth, he promptly gave me one. This will no doubt make my levelling in Cataclysm a bit easier, with a vendor and a repair guy never further than a click away. Thanks a ton, Gurraberra!
My third nod for the evening goes to the new website Eat sleep breathe wow, which makes short videos on WoW related topics, such as guides and commentary on the game. Steve, who is a blogger from the beginning, has high ambitions for those video procuctions and the ones we've seen so far look, if not perfect, at least promising. I think he deserves a bit of attention and a free drink in the bar. Keep it up Steve!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to raise our glasses. Here's to a wonderful weekend.
Cheers!
It’s hard to understand exactly what they find so attractive in a certain model. I can’t rid myself of the suspicion that it’s mostly about the size. And possibly something else connected to this. Go figure.
Big is beautiful?
The latest object for their affection, which made those guys go “oooh” and “awww” and “me wants” and “I’m so going to use my dkp on this”, was the Reclaimed Ashkkandi Greatsword of the Brotherhood.
To me it looks just like another sword: broad, long, heavy and clumsy, a little bit like The Sun Eater from TBC.
What those weapons have in common is that they really don’t appear to be made for a melee fight the way I think of it. Mind you, I’m not any expert in martial arts, but aren’t they just way too big to make sense?
They certainly don’t make me think of sword dueling or fencing as we see it in the movies: quick and elegant as a dance, just a bit more violent. The swords look more like something you could use for making bread or pizza in an old fashioned stone oven. The best use you probably could make of them in a fight would be to treat them as a piece of wood to hit people hard in the head. Brutal, but not very cool.
I don't sign unconditionally on that “Big is beautiful”. There must be other criteria for what constitutes a good looking weapon. But then, what else are we looking for?
Of course this boils down to personal taste and I don’t claim to be any more enlightened in this area than anyone else. But nevertheless I’ll share a couple of features that I appreciate.
Visual identity
First, I want it to have a distinct visual identity, something that makes it different from all the others. The best looking weapons can be identified at a distance, without using the character inspection.
For instance I love Will of Arlokk, with its distinct snake head. It looks cool and sticks, but is still somehow discrete. Not at all like Nibelung, whose attached flying creatures I find pretty annoying. I don't think it ever will stuck with me that it's pointless to try to kill them.
And while we're into weapons that are easy to recognize I have to mention Cookie's Tenderizer, which is the cutest mace ever with its rolling pin shape, in case you've missed it. It's not what I'd call "good looking", but it makes me smile every time I see it, even if I never could figure out why the icon looks like a thread roll.
Class matching
Secondly, I want the weapon to naturally match to the class I’m playing. My mage for instance, uses her brain as she's fighting the monsters. She doesn't physically stick her dagger into the enemies; she attacks them with her intellect and her spells.
I like any feature in the weapon that associates to wizardry – such as powerful rune inscriptions, mystical light surrounding the weapon, or a hypnotizing moving part, like the good old Staff of Jordan.
In any case, it should go without any doubt that Larísa is neither a warrior, nor a rogue.
Well scaled
Next, I want the weapon to be well scaled adjusted to my chosen race. Daggers and swords cutting a hole in the flying carpet is an abomination, and so are other weapons that keep hitting the ground just because a gnome is wearing them. I think a weapon should look just as appropriate on a gnome as on a tauren.
A holster
Moving ahead, I’d give an extra bonus to any dagger or sword that came with a holster or some other carrying device. When you don't use your weapon you should be able to attach it to your armor, and preferably not using glue, magnetism or "magic". Why can't it hang properly in the belt for a change?
I read an article about this a while ago, where Anjin Anhut discusses the issue of human magnets as an example of details that matters for immersion reasons. Anjin compares how different games have approached it, and sadly enough WoW ends up in the category “The ugly”. (I should add though that in the end, the author decides to give WoW some break “for already being some years around and having a wide arrangement of weapons available.)
Invisible values
Finally I think there are other, invisible values that also will affect the way we perceive a weapon. Even if they belong to the category "silly big" weapons, I can't help thinking that someone who is dressed with a pair of Warglaives of Azzintoh or sports a Thunderfury looks badass.
The question is: do they really look that gorgeous, or could it be that I'm under influence of the circumstances around it - by the lore attached to it, the rarity of it and the effort I know it has taken to get it? Would those weapons look just as pretty if I know that any scrub could get them doing a level 20 quest in Wetlands? Maybe, maybe not. My views are filtered through a layer of knowledge that it's hard to think away. Iconic weapon is iconic.
More weapon talk
Talking about weapons - I hope you remembered to leave any of those you were wearing as you entered the inn in the wardrobe room by the entrance? I try to keep this place as a neutral zone, a sanctuary where we don't make any difference between allies and horde. You're basically a peaceful bunch of people, but we all know that discussions might get a bit heated after a couple of pints, so let's stay on the safe side.
However, just because you can't bring your weapons to the table, it doesn't mean you're not allowed to talk about them. What makes a weapon look good? Which weapons in the game would you put on a top 10 list? Have you ever owned a weapon that looked so well that you couldn't stop admiring your toon? Please go ahead and share with us!
Friday night toast
It's Friday night and I'll end this post accordingly, bringing out a toast.
This week I want to send a special nod to one of our regular visitors, Syrien, who recently sent me a gift in game: an Elwynn Lamb pet. Syrien doesn't even play on my server, but created an alt to make some business and be able to buy it for me as a gift. Apparently Syrien thought it seemed as if I needed a little bit of appreciation and encouragement. Needless to tell, I was surprised, humbled and touched by this kindness and generosity in equal proportions. Thank you! I will keep the ingame letter in one of my precious bank slots for the reminder of my days as a WoW player. That says something about how much it meant to me.
Another nod goes to my guildie Gurraberra, who once upon the time created the header of The Pink Pigtail Inn, you know - the image of the pink pigtailed gnome and the fire. He took the screenshot at one of my favorite spots in the game, the inn in Darkshire. Gurraberra is also one of the major actors at the AH at our server, and he made a fortune selling glyphs in the 4.01 craziness. When he found out that I didn't have any Traveler's Tundra Mammoth, he promptly gave me one. This will no doubt make my levelling in Cataclysm a bit easier, with a vendor and a repair guy never further than a click away. Thanks a ton, Gurraberra!
My third nod for the evening goes to the new website Eat sleep breathe wow, which makes short videos on WoW related topics, such as guides and commentary on the game. Steve, who is a blogger from the beginning, has high ambitions for those video procuctions and the ones we've seen so far look, if not perfect, at least promising. I think he deserves a bit of attention and a free drink in the bar. Keep it up Steve!
And now, ladies and gentlemen, it's time to raise our glasses. Here's to a wonderful weekend.
Cheers!
45 comments:
Ah, now Ashkandi is a bit different which is why everyone wants it. It's not just the lore, but the original was also a really really beloved drop from BWL back in the day.
If you get your hands on one of those, you are holding a piece of WoW history, both IC and OOC.
And yes, I'd spend my DKP on that :)
@Spinks: Oh, that would explain it a bit. Wasn't there, didn't recognize it. It's interesting though how much the knowledge about such things will influence your judgement about if it looks good or not. To me it's just another sword. A big one, admittedly, but really nothing special looking.
I actually think WoW does a decent job of scaling up "awesomeness" as you level. There's a definite progression in size, sparkle and intricacy which is nice since you can replace the cool sword with something that looks a little "richer". Legendaries aside, it's going to be a bit of a let-down if your next weapon looks plainer than your last.
That said, not every design works (Seethe was a disappointment). I was disappointed by how so much of our Northrend gear looks exactly the same. And the designers have planned poorly for expansions, digging themselves into a hole by hitting peaks of design awesomeness too early.
I haven't seen a lot of the Cataclysm models, but I do hope they're working on a wider variety of models.
This is just me, personally, but I like the weapons that look held together with duct tape. Some of the Wrathful weapons, the Citadel Enforcer's Claymore, etc. It's like they're so powerful they have to literally be tied together.
::
Spiritus raises his head from the table where, unsurprisingly after celebrating for the last 4 hours he has been passed out, and yells,
"Itsh not the size of the shtaff, missie, but, rather, the THHHHRRRUSST you put behind it!"
::
Personally, I like the staff models best, i.e., Staff of Trickery, Tainted Twig of Nordrassil, etc., and agree that scaling them to match the wielder's size would be a nice touch. In terms of ranged weapons, regardless if it is outmoded or not, the story behind this weapon makes it my all time favorite:
http://www.wowhead.com/item=31986
/salute and good weekend, all
Staff of Immaculate Recovery > all else.
It doesn't get more iconic for a priest! <3
I even went back into BT long after just to get it.
I love your point on scaling. When my shaman first hit 80 back around midsummer, she was fortunate enough to get a Frostscythe of Ahune, which was a huge upgrade from her crafted ilvl 200 healing mace (even if shamans don't benefit as much from staves as other classes).
I think the Frostscythe is one of the coolest looking weapons in the game, it has an amazing identifiable shape and is very unique.
However, on my troll it stabbed right through the center of her head, like one of those joke arrows (image link: http://bit.ly/9vFImz). I actually complained about it in a blog post at the time (http://bit.ly/csJdAM) because it's a crying shame that I had one of the coolest looking staves in the game and I wished I could hide it beause it looked so stupid on me. I was jealous of my blood elf priest friend on whom it actually looked nice.
How much effort would it take to tweak the model so it doesn't drag on the ground for a gnome and doesn't behead a troll? I'm not sure how much, but it would be awesome if they could try, because all their hard work on weapon design is lost on some of us right now.
For me, it's more about how the weapon fits with my character. My rogue, for example, would prefer a simple set of stilettos, whereas my DK wants a pair of wickedly serrated axes with as many pointy bits as possible. My mage would prefer a different staff than my priest, and my paladin would want a different sword than my warrior.
Personally, I'd love the ability to reskin our weapons and armor. If we found a model that really fit our characters, we could keep it looking that way.
Simpler is better for me, though I really like the Orange legendary weapons, and wish there were a few more with big long quests attached to manufacture them.
I've got Cookie's Tenderizer somewhere in my bag still, and I've been using the Hand of Antu'sul for EVER on my tank because the functionality is amazing. It just looks like some vandal lopped the top from a totem pole, but its still a great beat-stick
Black Ice with Mongoose is one of my favorites, and I'm a caster.
WTB Appearance item slots.
It's so depressing when you get a new item, a significant upgrade for you, and you hate the way it looks, for whatever reason. Maybe you are an RP character, a paladin of the light, and the item is all skulls and drips poison and blackness. Maybe the opposite. Maybe you want a sword that looks like a sword and not a pizza board. Who knows?
Appearance item slots are not exactly innovation. C'mon, Bliz, you have a ton of outstanding art out there and people who are dying to farm up items to match what they want. Heck, I'd *pay* to get slots that let me customize my appearance. Is this so hard?!
The giant swords function in a very brute-force way. They're not for fencing, but for decapitation or similarly forceful attacks. These are the swords that need a ton of strength just to lift.
As for what makes me like a weapon, I like distinctive appearances. Thunderfury and quel'serrar are my favorites, of the ones I have. The Untamed Blade works too. Rarity helps, since after a while even a flashy weapon just gets old.
You had to go and mention Sun Eater. I finally stopped having nightmares about that weapon and how the only time it dropped was when I was on my priest.
Pour me a shot cause gonna be a long night for me :)
Here is a well designed weapon:
Atiesh, Greatstaff of the Guardian.
Back then Blizzard still understood that sometimes less is more.
Oh, that would explain it a bit. Wasn't there, didn't recognize it.
Ashkandi was a famous drop from Nefarian during a time when good drops were rare and required a lot of time investment. People would spot it from afar and fear it.
It was a different game :|
I came across this beauty in Stratholme last week. It's so simple and elegant I haven't quite been able to sell it off yet. It's nice to see a sword that doesn't have spinny things or chainsaw blades on it.
Warblade of Caer Darrow
http://www.wowhead.com/item=13982/warblade-of-caer-darrow#.
I kinda want it, if only that it's like a fatter version of the sword Liono uses in Thundercats, with dragons on it. It's the cat-like eye on the hilt that does it.
See:
http://www.cheezey.org/thundercats/gallery/liono_posing_with_sword.jpg
(Realize that his sword is in short form here, it actually has two lengths in the ye olde cartoon)
Klepsacovic is correct that historically large two-handed swords aren't meant for cutting or fencing, they're meant for bludgeoning, similar to a very large club. Short swords and rapiers have a hard time getting through plate mail, whereas a two-hander can just trap someone in their own armor and then beat them to death.
My favourite mace/shield combo (on my Holy Paladin) was... well, I don't remember the exact items, but the shield was gold and shield-shaped, and didn't drag the ground or whack her in the head (she's a Dwarf), and the mace was a modestly-sized goldish-white affair. Nothing ridiculous or huge. Just a simple shield and mace for a simple Paladin.
It makes me sigh a little sometimes, when I log on, to see that GINORMOUS shield on her back. The mace isn't so bad, but its not really my speed. :/ Alas.
I think the love for weapons is a melee thing, as a caster I've never been too bothered by how my weapons looked, since things like my robe dominate my appearance much more.
I'm not overly picky as far as weapon design is concerened, but as far as swords go, I'd really wish Blizz would stop making ones that don't have a proper pointy end. So many of the new models these days are blunted, split or whatever. Seriously, it's not an axe, it's not a fork... having one pointy end is kind of part of the definition.
Tentacles.
http://www.wowhead.com/item=28658
Agreed with Spinks and Nils, I remember thinking how awesome that sword was and wishing it was within reach (my pally was quite proud of her Zin'Rokh though:) I had a drooly moment when I saw the new version listed, even og I am mostly holy.
Also, so happy you liked the gift (and even got a mammoth, that's some guildie!) Attention makes me blush a bit, so keep the beer flowing my way please ;)
It is about having a sword that can (as explained in 'Kill Bill')
"this is my finest sword. If on your journey, you should encounter God, God will be hurt."
So if a Sword is able to do that sort of damage, it better look capable of punching holes in big baddies.
So swords like these (from final fantasy)
http://www.swordssource.com/userfiles/image/final%20fantasy%20mega%20huge%20sword.jpg
Makes people happy :)
Haven't played WoW for more than a year now, but I think my all time favourite-looking weapon was for an alt, not even my main.
My dwarven priestess looked great running around with the Shockwave Truncheon from Shadow Labyrinth. It was great - it gave off circular waves like a TV aerial.
http://www.wowhead.com/item=29353
Looked a lot better on a dwarfette than on that tauren in the picture, though.
And now you've got me thinking I'll have to go back and find the other coolest weapon, which was even better looking than that one, just sadly lower level, so not used as much. But it looked great...
http://www.wowhead.com/item=24378
Again, the Coilfang Hammer of Renewal looked so much better on a dwarfette than on the larger races, and it released bubbles!
Bugger. I'm getting all Wow-nostalgic now... Must resist!
Cozy
Weapon design is something I've commented in my blog several times, specially about sowrds. I love swords, I can't help it. Also having done some years of ancient japanese swordfighting lessons helps :)
Vanilla weapons were real weapons except for some epic ones where more fantasy details and bigger sizes were introduced, to make them stand out. And I think they did a pretty good job. With TBC things started going out of control, but that also applies to armour (funky colour patterns, alien designs, etc) but still some weapons weren't that exaggerated. Then Wrath came and they quit the funky design to replace it with a crude aspect and a size totally out of proportion, even for green items. In most of cases you're moving around with a weapon the size of a moai, even for a dagger. Also I felt a lack of variety. All one-hander swords look the same, only colour varies, and as patches were added they used previous epic models from raids as drops in heroics (like the Lucky Old Sun, which model comes from Ulduar). Of course you have less levels to add variety, but I found it disappointing. I fear what we will find in Cata where we only have 5 levels.
So I'm up for the simplicity of the vanilla weapons except for the epic loot, where more fantasy items (auras, runes, etc) must be added to make it stand out, but without going out of control like Ashkandi. It has a cool design, but it's too big to be wield.
As a rogue, I prefer fast and sleek weapons. I dual wield a pair of Ginn-su blades in my RP set, and regular gear I prefer swords that look like swinging them would be elegant and simple, not awkward and clumsy.
I will admit that on my ret paladin I was pretty unhappy with my lvl 80 weapon choices until I got Citadel Enforcer's Claymore. Only real problem I have with it is I wish the end was more swordlike.
The weapon I coveted and grinded after for her was Hellreaver. I think I spent a week running Ramps over and over and over. I put savagery on it so it dripped blood. Not very paladin-like but I loved the look of it and still have it in my bank.
I also liked Lantresor's Warblade.
But what I really like is 2handed axes for her. Mmmmm Gorehowl which I also still have in the bank.
On my hunter, I'm never happier then when I can get some good duel-wield weapons. I seriously haven't' had a decent bow though since lower levels of BC. I lusted after was the Vengeful Gladiator's Longbow. Unfortunately, I was never good enough at arena to get my ranking nearly high enough. I just want a bow that looks like a bow without a huge thing in the center of it. I assume it is suppose to be a defensive guard for your hand but eh. I don't like it. My favorite gun is probably Wolfslayer Sniper Rifle which has never dropped for me.
Hey LARÍSA.
Thanks for the quick plug in the "holster" paragraph. ;)
Also a fun article, you wrote here.
What I really look for in a weapon is something that does more than have good stats. I want something that does one of two things.
A) it fits with the style of the instance it came from (or in the case of PvP weapons, LOOKS like a battle-hardened weapon that's killed thousands... not like a toothpick), ie. The 2h axe off Marrowgar (its name escapes me, but everyone knows what I'm talking about!).
B) I love weapons that fit with my class. I play a DK, and weapons that have skulls for a hilt or just looking imposing and death-y excite me immensely. I wish blizz had the time/ressources to tailor weapon drops and designs around speicifc sets like they do with tier sets. I'd like to see each class/spec (or at least each class) have its own loot table. If you don't see any drops, it means nothing from your table dropped. It would make everything feel that much more epic, to me anyways!
Have a look at this.
Soon your weapon will make your whole character glow and after that your char will be transfored into a glowing cloud.
All in the name of 'epicness'.
:(
I have a Staff of Immaculate Recovery, its simply the BEST!
Larissa, size matters when you're talking about weapons ;-) Most models in wow are entirely impractical for use as weapons, but weight does actually improve damage as most edged weapons (or maces/hammers) work as a sort of lever so the greatest amount of force is concentrated in the area striking the opponent.
However, all the models I think look really cool, I never get. Suneater, slayer of lifeless, the 2h version of the suneater from Hyjal. I'd love to see a 2h version of the slayer of lifeless. I personally think the sword deathknights get at the end of creation is one of the cooler looking weapons in wow.
On my plate melee classes I prefer weapons which are big and look impressive. On my casters I prefer weapons which are more intricate looking.
One of my all time favourites is the S2 merciless gladiator caster staff back in TBC. It simply looks like a huge chunk of crystal with mystic runes floating about it.
http://www.wowhead.com/item=32055
Like I wrote in the guild forums :) On Ashkandi specifically, it's hardly about the looks, it's about A.L. ! The guy was THE alliance warrior, just that makes you want to wield it and go and smash orcs.
Now if only we were on an RP server :)
Lore
The background story associated with an item is personally very important to me. I remember we had a guy in our guild called Richard, a lore-buff, perhaps much more so than myself, who freaked out when he realized that he could actually hold Ashbringer in his hands. The lore associated with an item is what makes it stands out. On my first account as a dwarven paladin, I was the proud owner of a Hand of Ragnaros. It was a magnificent weapon, not just because it was in the possession of one of the toughest bosses in one of the most unforgiving raid instances in vanilla WoW, but because of the story associated with the weapon. Of course the fringe benefit was that anyone who saw it knew you had slayed Ragnaros, and had enough of a pull in the group to actually lay claim to the item that led to said weapon.
Appropriate Look
The other thing I suppose, is 'appropriate look'. I don't want a healing mace that looks like it could clobber a gronn into submission. Then again, I don't want a mace that looks like a blacksmith's hammer. Consider the Hand of Eternity (http://www.wowhead.com/item=23556). This was one of the premiere healing maces when TBC hit pre-raiding, and I painstakingly put together the mats to build it. I still remember Pete, a dear and old guildie, actually laughed out loud when I finally equipped and it looked EXACTLY like the blacksmith's hammer. Blizzard consequently changed the look in a later patch (you can see what it looks like now in the screenshot tab of the link above), but the damage was already done.
I still go to therapy for it, I swear!
: Thats’ a point actually. I like the difference between the first very plain walking staffs to the more sparkling, magic-looking endgame-drops.
About the gear looking the same: oh yes. Sometimes I wonder if we really can blame them. How much of variety can you really come up with?
: Duct tape! I never noticed that before, but yeah, I like it.
: I’ve never been that much of a staff carrier, for some reason I like to have a little dagger and some nifty offhand. Maybe it’s that they’re just too big for a gnome? This said the form of the staff invites to more imaginative design, I’d dare say. The top, especially, where designers go wild with snake heads etc.
And what a touching story about that weapon. It looks shiny indeed.
@Syl & Wowguy: I had never noticed that one before, but yeah, it’s awesome… That face is hypnotizing.
@Rhii: I’m not a designer, so I don’t know how much work it would take. Maybe it’s just not worth it. But it’s annoying, that’s for sure.
: I think that too. A staff would feel much more natural to me on my druid than on my mage. I don’t know why really; it’s something in their personality.
: Hehe, that hand of Antusul is a bit weird. Not my teacup tbh, but I can figure it fits some chartacters.
: I checked it up and maybe a bit of scaling would be in place for that one? Poor gnomes have to lift their own weigth…
: As long as you’re willing to open your wallet. I wouldn’t be surprised if something like that came as a special extra-pay service one day.
: But if they’re so hard to lift, how can you even think of swinging them?
@Bodoth: I’m sorry. I know about Sun Eater madness. I had a guildie who made 100 runs in Mech before he got his. I was with him for quite a few of those runs and fortunately enough I was present when it finally dropped. An epic memory!
@Jeffo: I really like that.. It’s simple but yet impressive. It has dignity.
: I see. So a part of the problem is the way sword fights are presented for instance in movies.
: Yeah those shields… Do they take painkillers to cope with the pain dragging them around?
@Shintar: Actually now that you say it most of the “ooohhh” “shiny!” outbursts come from the melee squad. And yes, I prefer pointy too, but they’re more or less a rarity these days.
@Big Heals: Oh, that’s the one with the moving parts isn’t it? It’s a bit creepy tbh.
@Syrien: I’m just a noob. On the other hand I’m sure there will come some shinies in the future reminding me of my time in TBC. I’ll reach the nostalgic phase too eventually.
@Dwism: but…but… that one looks all broken! Are you sure it will hold together?
@Cozy: Bubbles! That’s a bit… silly. But very special and recognizable! I can understand why you were charmed.
@Kurnak: Yeah, I think we’re on the same page. A little bit slimmer and simpler for most weapons, and save the really epic ornament for a selected few that will stand out.
@Glyph, the Architect: I’m all with you. Small and sneaky for a rogue so you can hide it in your clothes if needed for a planned assault from behind. Makes sense to me.
@Akycha: You’re quite a weapon collector it seems! I never thought about gun design at all, but then I’m not a hunter. I suppose there are more or less elegant ones in that area as well.
@Anjin Anhut: Hello! And thanks for paying a visit! I totally loved that article and have been keeping it in my back head for some link love when I got opportunity. I totally love your blog and hope more will find their way to it. I find your article through Gamasutra but thought you might want to get out your own address.
@Onike: Yep, I’m all for that. A mage dagger and a rogue dagger are completely different things and that should show.
@Nils: while I do like some of the current enchant auras, yeah… that’s to make a LOT of it. I’m not sure if it’s for good or not; I’ll have to see it in the game. But yeah… too much of sparkles and glow and we finally won’t notice it anymore. It should be used very sparsely.
@Fish: That’s true actually. I never fell in love with my DK or understood how to play her at all, but I liked the look of the weapon there.
: hm…. Looks like something picked from that crystal cave in the crater, doesn’t it? Not sure if I love it or not. But yeah… might be appropriate for a caster.
@Ossia: nothing prevents us from a little RP light whenever we want to. I’m a closet RP:er, but I might be lured out of my wardrobe if you ask nicely.
@Bronte: Oh dear, what a disappointment! But then I’ve never been able to embrace the mace as a weapon at all to be truly honest. I think the ridiculous look of the first hammer you get was one of the reasons why I deserted my first character, a paladin, at a very low level. It looked so stupid as she was doing her pirouettes with that clumsy thing in her hand.
I loved my Wolfslayer Sniper Rifle so much I used it til I was 75. Best looking gun ever in the game.
Well first of all I do think it looks overdone- but it isn't about the size, its about the style for me. For Instance I will always be a fan of Byntroll or Hellreaver- but particular think about Ashkandi is that in lore it was not only "some epic drop in BWL" it was one of the 2 swords Of Lothar- the most renowned hero in the history of the Alliance: that man pretty much tucked in most of the Alliance's best current heros in bed at night. He was the founder of the Alliance, he was the last direct descendant of the Arathi Bloodline- essentially making him the rightful heir of the vast majority of the human helm property of the Eastern Kingdoms. This man is like George Washington mixed with El Cid.
One of my favorite caster staves from WotLK was Sulpher Stave.
http://www.wowhead.com/item=39256
Which, dropping in Naxx, was very similar to the original Brimstone Staff from the original Naxx. The bat flapping its wings periodically was very cool.
Felsteel longblade
A rare blacksmith recipe from Outland that gave us an even rarer commodity - a sword that sheathed on the back.
I'm leveling a blacksmith so my worgen warrior and rogue can each have 2.
Oh I agree, the Hand of Rag was a damn near useless weapon, especially considering I was a HOLY Paladin. But before someone chastises me for infringing upon some hunter's right to the weapon or some such nonsense, consider this: I was the ONLY person who bid on it.
That is how cosmetic HoR was.
Also: I think it dropped after like 20 weeks of farming Rag, and by then we were neck-deep in Naxx anyway.
Two weapons come to mind that I have saved, the scythe from ahune despite the fact it is a caster weapon and dropped for my warrior
And the terestian's stranglestaff that my druid carried at 70 and still has banked despite the fact that it freaks me out cause it moves.
As for the legendaries, some I know by looks, others just from their rep on trade chat, but if you have one I will probably give a nod at the time, effort and gold it took you to get it (even after bypassing the levelcap for the item.)
Woah, hey, thanks for the referral!
I admittedly missed it during a fury of guild restructuring, but now that that's over I've been catching up on the blogosphere. :D
There was only ever one weapon that really had me in awe:
http://www.wowhead.com/item=13246
It's what i would call a light saber :)
To Lowtec: Yeah! When I finished the quest chains for the Argent Dawn, I was wayyy over level but I picked that sword because I loved teh look of it. I still carry it for my town-clown gear at 80.
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